25 inspiring email subject lines

Considering that readers decide whether to read or trash your email in about three seconds, well-written subject lines are essential. If you can throw in a little mystery or humor, that works, too.

Here are some great examples:

1. Don’t let your spam box come between us
2. Need an app for that?
3. Show me the writing . . .
4. 8 reasons not to read this email
5. A blatant pitch (that you should open NOW)
6. Made you look
7. Athletes use steroids . . . entrepreneurs use this
8. Did you mean to do that?
9. Life would be easy if it weren’t for other people
10. The real reason we go to conferences
11. How to really irritate your competitors
12. The one mistake people make in their careers
13. Wasn’t there a Dickens novel about this?
14. Drop everything
15. Hair gel, deodorant and your heart
16. An email about a fundraiser or petition or something
17. This time it’s war
18. The plot thins
19. Capital letters
20. About that article you wrote
21. Why your 5-year-old is more tech savvy than your CEO
22. Did you mean to “Reply all”?
23. Before you open this, promise not to get mad
24. Most of the car is fine
25. Please, please send more pie